Justin Rose closes his eyes, hopes for the best

ORLANDO — Justin Rose seems to have the right idea. The Lake Nona golfer, a transplant from England more than a decade ago, says when things are not going right, just close your eyes.

When you are putting, that is.

Stephanie Wei, who writes a golf blog at WeiUnderPar.com, asked Rose about his little secret, which she found out from Rose's caddie, Mark Fulcher.

Rose laughed and said, "Oh, he let the cat out of the bag?"

"Yeah, inside 10 feet I just freed it up. It's a drill I do a lot on the putting green and I make more than I miss," Rose said after getting into final-round contention Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a 4-under-par 68, finishing the tourney at 6 under. "It was a challenge to do that coming down the stretch and you're trying to be that carefree, but I just kind of let it go.

"The more I kinda got off the leaderboard, I was trying to use it as a real test, a drill and it worked. Of course, I made a couple of long putts as well, the eagle putt on 12 and another good putt on 18 which I had my eyes open, but yeah, it's all rhythm-based, right? I try to keep my putter swing in rhythm."

Tiger: I can win Masters

There was one question left to ask as Tiger Woods finished interviews following his 1-under finish at Arnie's event — can he win the Masters, which is in two weeks?

"Yes," he said. Woods didn't play horribly during the API at Bay Hill Club and Lodge, but many wanted to critique his game. He finished just seven strokes off the lead.

He went bogey-free through Sunday's first 16 holes, then struck "the best shot I hit all day" with his tee shot at Bay Hill's par-3 17th. It came down a foot short, plunking onto the beach that fronts the 17th green. Bogey.

Then Woods' second shot at No. 18 found a watery landing in the pond affectionately known as the "Devil's Bathtub." Double bogey.

All the good work undone in what became par 72. Not the good vibes, though.

"It was a very good week, and a week I needed to see," said Woods. "I really hit the ball well … really, really felt comfortable today. I felt I was able to control just about every shot."

Somebody win this

At different points on Sunday, there were 10 players who had legitimate shots at victory. Mark Wilson and Fredrik Jacobson took advantage of some ugly golf to move up considerably in the standings.

Wilson made up 29 places, but a bogey-5 on 18 proved very costly. He finished at 3-under for the day and the tourney. In fact, Wilson was bogey-free all day until 18. He finished tied for ninth with Jacobson at 3-under.

Jacobson had a bogey-4 on 17, taking himself out of an interesting opportunity he could have had on 18. He moved up 20 spots Sunday.

Even Sergio Garcia made a run up the ladder, but three bogeys cost him dearly. He moved up 12 spots from Saturday, but still finished 8th at 4-under par.

Rose made up 17 spots Sunday in battling back to finish tied for third at 6-under par. He shot 4-under Sunday.

Laird takes long way home

Sunday's winner, Martin Laird, went about things somewhat backward in victory. He entered Sunday afternoon's play with an 11-under, three-stroke lead. But things seemed to take a turn for an unhappy ending.

Three bogeys on the front nine, then double-bogey on 10. Another bogey on 14. Three birdies on the final seven holes were just enough to seal the win and close a forgettable closing round of 2-over 75, sending those like Rose, waiting around for a playoff, on their way.

"It was kind of mixed emotions," Laird said of his reaction to the double on 10. "Obviously I was not very happy, but … I knew I had two par-5s left, and I had been driving the ball so well all week and felt really comfortable on those two holes."